Chylothorax: a rare postoperative complication in paediatric cardiac surgery patients - a 15-year retrospective study from a tertiary care centre in a developing country.

Chylothorax, a postoperative complication of CHD surgery, involves chyle accumulation in the pleural cavity, posing challenges in diagnosis and management. This retrospective study investigates the prevalence, aetiology, management, and outcomes of postoperative chylothorax in paediatric patients undergoing cardiac corrective surgery at a tertiary care centre over 15 years. Medical records of paediatric patients who underwent cardiothoracic surgery at the Children's Heart Center at the American University of Beirut Medical Center between 2007 and 2022 were retrospectively reviewed.

Adverse effects of COVID-19 vaccine in the paediatric population: a focus on the cardiovascular system.

The COVID-19 pandemic had an unprecedented impact on healthcare systems and exists globally. To control pandemic progression, COVID-19 vaccines were developed and licensed for use in the adult population in early 2021 and became available in paediatric cohorts several months later. Since then, several studies have reported adverse events and severe adverse events in the adult and paediatric cohorts.

Cardiac Ablation in the Pediatric Population at a Tertiary Care Center in a Developing Country.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to describe our experience and outcome of ablation therapy for arrhythmias in pediatrics at a tertiary care center.

Methods: Data was collected retrospectively from the hospital medical records. All pediatrics presenting to AUBMC between 2000 and 2020 who underwent cardiac ablation were included.

Unroofed coronary sinus, left-sided superior vena cava and mitral insufficiency: A case report and review of the literature.

Background: Unroofed coronary sinus (UCS) is a rare subtype of atrial septal defect. It is frequently associated with a persistent left superior vena cava and is often part of a more intricate cardiac malformation.

Case Summary: This report describes a rare case of an adolescent patient with UCS featuring atrial situs solitus, absence of the right superior vena cava and a persistent left superior vena cava draining into the left atrium consistent with total unroofing of the coronary sinus.

Double-outlet Right Atrium with Double-orifice Tricuspid Valve: Report of a Rare Case and Review of the Literature.

Double-outlet right atrium is an extremely rare congenital cardiac defect, in which the right atrium drains into both ventricles. Here in, we present a peculiar case involving an 8-year-old female with double-outlet right atrium characterized by three distinct atrioventricular valves and a membranous ventricular septal defect. This is associated with right atrium to left ventricular flow through the accessory atrioventricular valve while maintaining adequate size of the right ventricle.

Percutaneous closure of multiple atrial septal defects in a child utilizing three Occlutech Figulla septal occluders: A bailout.

We describe a unique report of percutaneous closure of multiple secundum atrial septal defects in a child utilizing three Occlutech Figulla septal occluders deployed sequentially. The procedure was performed under live three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography guidance.

COVID-19 Vaccines in the Pediatric Population: A Focus on Cardiac Patients.

Due to the deleterious global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, tremendous effort has been invested in the development of vaccines against the virus. Vaccine candidates are first tested in adult populations, a number of which have been approved for EUL by the WHO, and are in use across the USA and MENA region. The question remains whether these (or other) vaccines should be recommended to a neonatal, pediatric, and/or adolescent cohort.

Pulmonary artery banding: a 20-year experience at a tertiary care center in a developing country.

Aim: Pulmonary artery banding serves as an important palliative procedure used for the management of several congenital heart lesions. This study aims to describe a 20-year experience of pulmonary artery banding at a tertiary care center in a developing country.

Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of patients who underwent pulmonary artery banding over a 20-year period between January 2000 and July 2020 in a tertiary care center in a developing country.

NT-proBNP cardiac value in COVID-19: a focus on the paediatric population.

NT-proBNP is a peptide related to brain natriuretic peptide, a cardiac biomarker and a member of the natriuretic family of peptides. NT-proBNP has demonstrated its clinical utility in the assessment of a wide spectrum of cardiac manifestations. It is also considered a more precise diagnostic and prognostic cardiac biomarker than brain natriuretic peptide.

Hybrid stage 1 palliation for HLHS: the experience of a tertiary center in a developing country.

Background: Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) accounts for 2.6% of congenital heart disease and is an invariably fatal cardiac anomaly if left untreated. Approximately 33,750 babies are born annually with HLHS in developing countries.

Congenital heart disease research landscape in the Arab world: a 25-year bibliometric review.

Background: While research on congenital heart disease has been extensively conducted worldwide, comprehensive studies from developing countries and the Arab world remain scarce.

Aim: This study aims to perform a bibliometric review of research on congenital heart disease in the Arab world from 1997 to 2022.

Methods: We analyzed data from the Web of Science, encompassing various aspects such as topics, countries, research output, citations, authors, collaborations, and affiliations.

Newborn Pulse Oximetry Screening for Detecting Congenital Heart Disease: Experience at a Tertiary Care Center.

Background: Congenital heart disease (CHD) remains the number one birth defect worldwide. Pulse oximetry screening (POS) is a widely used CHD screening modality effective in detecting critical lesions. This study is aimed at assessing the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of POS in a cohort of term well-babies admitted to a regular nursery in a tertiary care center.

Establishing a High-Quality Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Program in Post-Conflict Regions: A Model for Limited Resource Countries.

Background: Congenital Heart Disease stands as a prominent cause of infant mortality, with notable disparities in surgical outcomes evident between high-income and low- to middle-income countries.

Objective: This study presents a collaborative partnership between a local governmental entity and an international private organization to establish a high-quality Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Program in a post-conflict limited resource country, Iraq.

Methods: A descriptive retrospective study analyzed pediatric cardiac surgery procedures performed by a visiting pediatric heart surgery team from October 2021 to October 2022, funded by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

Three-dimensional printing of mitral valve models using echocardiographic data improves the knowledge of cardiology fellow physicians in training.

Background: High fidelity three-dimensional Mitral valve models (3D MVM) printed from echocardiography are currently being used in preparation for surgical repair.

Aim: We hypothesize that printed 3DMVM could have relevance to cardiologists in training by improving their understanding of normal anatomy and pathology.

Methods: Sixteen fellow physicians in pediatric and adult cardiology training were recruited.

COVID-19 in congenital heart disease patients: what did we learn?!

Aim: COVID-19 pandemic has spread widely at unpreceded pace. Cardiovascular comorbidities are significantly correlated with severe and critical illness. Nevertheless, studies examining the impact of congenital heart disease on COVID-19 severity are scarce and restricted to hospitalized patients.

Corticosteroids in COVID-19: pros and cons.

The wide and rapid spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has placed an unanticipated burden on the global healthcare sector. This necessitated a swift response from the international community to reach a solution. Efforts were made in parallel to develop preventative and therapeutic modalities.

Combined tricuspid atresia- AV septal defect-a rare congenital cardiac abnormality.

Introduction: Congenital heart diseases (CHDs) are one of the most common birth defects worldwide with a prevalence of 1%. CHDs can be classified into cyanotic and acyanotic diseases based on the presence or absence of the characteristic bluish discoloration of skin and mucus membranes. A subset of cyanotic diseases is single ventricle malformations.

Myocarditis in COVID-19: a focus on the pediatric population.

The emergence of the novel SARS-CoV-2 virus in late 2019 introduced new, unpreceded global challenges. Complications arising from COVID-19 widely range from mild to severe and, in some cases, lead to death. The myocardium has proven to be a potential target site for this virus, and has been affected at various levels, resulting in numerous complications, including myocarditis.

Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children: another COVID-19 sequel.

With the rapid expansion of the COVID-19 pandemic, the disease burden and its consequences on the paediatric population has been progressively recognised. Although COVID-19 infection in children presents as asymptomatic to mild illness, instances of hyperinflammation and multi-organ involvement following the viral infection have been described. This condition, known as the multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), has gained a wide global attention.

Low molecular weight heparin in COVID-19: benefits and concerns.

Since its emergence, the COVID-19 pandemic had a dramatic impact on the public health worldwide and it scarred the medical, economical, and social determinants of health. Even after the significant vaccination advances, the disease of SARS-CoV-2 can manifest in severe presentations with life-threatening thromboembolic and multi-organ complications leading to notable morbidity and mortality. Clinicians and researchers are on continuous pursuit of investigating different approaches in the attempt to prevent the infection and minimize its severity.

COVID-19 in Cyanotic Congenital Heart Disease.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most prevalent congenital defect in newborn infants. Due to the various types of heart abnormalities, CHD can have a wide range of symptoms. Cardiac lesions comprise a range of different types and accordingly varying severities.

Transcatheter occlusion of a hepatic vein-to-left atrium fistula: Should we close venovenous collateral vessels following Fontan operation?

Right-to-left shunt due to abnormal systemic venous drainage to the left heart is among the causes of hypoxemia following Fontan operation. There are conflicting data regarding the closure of the venovenous collaterals (VVCs) post-Fontan, showing decreased survival in older patients. In a child with visceral heterotaxy, we describe a rare fistula draining a right-sided hepatic vein into hepatic venous plexus and a right-sided pulmonary venous atrium.